Morality:
Conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuousconduct.
or
Principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.I'm not sure how to approach this. This topic is frought with Opinions. What is right, what is wrong, what is moral, what is immoral? lately these lines have been very blurred. however after being exposed to this book i can safely say that i feel there is not much about
Humbert's actions that are at all moral. i don't want to get into a huge discussion about are his intentions or actions really immoral or are they just set forth by and oppressive culture that restrains real love? i really don't feel like getting into that fruitless discussion with anyone that might try to raise that point. Everything about the way the main character talks, his thought process, the way he speaks drips with pedophilia. (also id like to point out that i was listenign to the audio book, so it was actually Jeremy Irons reading the book. That's right SCAR from Lion King was reading Lolita to me) Early on in the book he takes advantage of Lolita (in a "minor" way, not sure if this is the first time, there were so many) and thinks to himself, "I felt proud of myself. I had stolen the honey of a spasm without impairing the morals of a minor. Absolutely no harm done." That is a sign of no remorse. an unapologetic pedophile.
He continually describes their interactions in the most sensual way. which even in the context of a normal relationship would be pretty creepy. There is a moment right before he gets the letter from Charlotte confessing her love for him, when Lolita is away and he jump on her bed smelling the fabric for just a slight hint of her scent. Even in the context of a "normal" relationship that is a bit too obsessive. He even goes far enough to figure a way to pleasure himself without her knowing (or does she?) "focusing my lust and rocking slightly under my newspaper, I felt that my perception of her, if properly concentrated upon might be sufficient to have me attain a beggar's bliss immediately." His morals appalled me even before he took Lolita and went on the run. He married Charlotte Haze, Just to be able to stay in the house with Lolita. He does come to love her in a tiny way but that is soon replaced with the notion of killing her!
Charlotte wants to send Lolita away and in a fit of selfishness thinks of a way to kill her so as to have Lolita all to himself (which eventually he gets, somewhat). He even goes as far as to describe the idea of drowning her in great detail. being brazen enough to do it while some people are watching from afar and being able to pay it off as an accident. While reading it, i actually forgot that he was just voicing his thoughts, and i thought he was actually doing it. Humbert does have morals about other things in life, he seem to abhor what the world has become and the moral it forces on him. He is hyper cynical when traveling with Lolita about the tourist traps and terrible motels. He seems to have a heightened sense of personal morality. as though his morals are right and the world is wrong. he detests the world for labeling him as a sex crazed maniac on one hand, but on the other hand he calls himself a monster. (whether he feels that way or is simply saying that for the "jury" im not sure) overall with his character i find a distinct lack of a correct moral compass. and overall the book smells of immorality even seeing the writer of the book makes me just a bit antsy. I felt so uncomfortable listening to the book on tape. There were points where i really enjoyed his flowery descriptions of his passions, emotions, and senses, but it continually kept crashing down when i realized hes talking about an underage girl. Honesty, I felt slightly off after finishing.
Update: (10/3/12)
I have to say that this book still frustrates, confuses, and irritates me. In class we discussed the topic of love in Lolita, and whether or not Humbert actually love Lolita, and whether lolita loves Humbert. In class my teacher persuaded me that love was in the book, at least the type of love that we celebrate in movies, in that replace Humbert's object of affection with say blonde women in their early 20's and we would be celebrating his passion for his girl. But because it is a 12 year old girl we instantly write off the possibility of love because the object of his affection is of a perverse nature. And i began to buy into that notion. that maybe Nabokov was writing a story of love, but an awkward and wrong one. but after reading more i am not convinced that there is no real love in Lolita, only lust and unhealthy passion.
Humbert does not treat Lolita in the way that lovers should treat each other hes manipulative, selfish, and self serving. Keeping her only to himself, pulling the "father" card often. Pleasuring himself to other girls (and im relatively sure that he had her pleasure him while looking at other nymphettes, though i could be remembering incorrectly). There was little semblance of a caring relationship that i could see. Morals have little to no place in this book. Not a single character in this book had a single redeeming quality. I could look for a deeper meaning, and attempt to find some semblance of morality and a sense of "true" love hidden among the pages, but i have no motivation to. In the end all i can say about this book if i was telling a friend about it would be this:
Lolita is a book that is written extremely well. When reading it you WIll be carried away. you can feel every sensation, live every emotion. But the story is perverse, and dies a bit in the middle. and in the end you will read a story that will not leave you with anything redeeming. You wont be changed, you wont learn anything about life. In the end you will be left with a beautifully written sad story of a pedophile whos perverse passion, jealousy, and selfishness ruined all of the lives around him, and got away with everything.
I have to say that this book still frustrates, confuses, and irritates me. In class we discussed the topic of love in Lolita, and whether or not Humbert actually love Lolita, and whether lolita loves Humbert. In class my teacher persuaded me that love was in the book, at least the type of love that we celebrate in movies, in that replace Humbert's object of affection with say blonde women in their early 20's and we would be celebrating his passion for his girl. But because it is a 12 year old girl we instantly write off the possibility of love because the object of his affection is of a perverse nature. And i began to buy into that notion. that maybe Nabokov was writing a story of love, but an awkward and wrong one. but after reading more i am not convinced that there is no real love in Lolita, only lust and unhealthy passion.
Humbert does not treat Lolita in the way that lovers should treat each other hes manipulative, selfish, and self serving. Keeping her only to himself, pulling the "father" card often. Pleasuring himself to other girls (and im relatively sure that he had her pleasure him while looking at other nymphettes, though i could be remembering incorrectly). There was little semblance of a caring relationship that i could see. Morals have little to no place in this book. Not a single character in this book had a single redeeming quality. I could look for a deeper meaning, and attempt to find some semblance of morality and a sense of "true" love hidden among the pages, but i have no motivation to. In the end all i can say about this book if i was telling a friend about it would be this:
Lolita is a book that is written extremely well. When reading it you WIll be carried away. you can feel every sensation, live every emotion. But the story is perverse, and dies a bit in the middle. and in the end you will read a story that will not leave you with anything redeeming. You wont be changed, you wont learn anything about life. In the end you will be left with a beautifully written sad story of a pedophile whos perverse passion, jealousy, and selfishness ruined all of the lives around him, and got away with everything.
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